"Where are you U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann? An increasing number of voices from the 300,000 residents in the 6th District are asking this question!
After her appearance on national television hugging President Bush and commenting on our Iraq foreign policy, she has disappeared from view. The other freshman representative from Minnesota, Tim Walz, has had frequent town meetings and open forums."
I had previously done a bit of a comparison between these two freshman representatives and found that our representation in the Sixth does roughly half the work of the representation in the First. Does that mean we get to pay her half as much?
"Bachmann has voted against many bills proposed in the House that would directly benefit the majority of the 6th District middle class. For example: the Taxpayer Protection Act (4-17-07), Homeland Security Appropriations (6-12-07), and the College Cost Reduction Act (7-11-07).
She has even failed to support the Northstar commuter rail line from the Twin Cities to Big Lake, which is badly needed to help cut down the backed-up traffic.
... This is a very poor voting record for the constituents of the 6th District and we need new representation."
The problem with this line of reasoning is that many of those "middle class" people living in the Sixth District don't vote based upon their economic interests. For whatever reason, they continue to vote for candidates based solely upon their social views (see abortion or gay marriage). In this respect they play right into the hands of the Bachmann crowd that really has no serious intention of getting rid of the divisive issues that get them elected time and time again.
